Architecture Registration Exams Story: Gabriella Bermea

Welcome to the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) experience stories series! This series is to share experiences, timelines and advice of professionals that have completed their AREs. We know it can be a daunting task to get started and overwhelming on the number of resources out there. We hope you find this information helpful in organizing how you proceed through your exams. Good Luck!

This is the experience, timeline, and advice from:

Gabriella Bermea, AIA, NCARB, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C

Gabriella Bermea is an Associate and Design Architect with VLK Architects with a passion for philanthropy, education, and advocacy practicing in Austin, Texas. Her architectural specialization is in the K-12 sector, with a focus on long range facility planning, design, and construction of educational institutions. Gabriella is an advocate for public education students, currently serving as a board member for her local education foundation and as the SchoolsNEXT Regional Coordinator for the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), focused on creating the ‘School of the Future’ as designed by partnering K-12 schools. A champion for bringing new voices to the profession, she serves as the Director of Student Recruitment with ACE Mentor Program of Austin and is the Communications Director for the Young Architects Forum and Editor-in-Chief of Connection Magazine. This overlap of mentorship, advocacy, and service influenced her to further her knowledge and skills in architecture, philanthropic service, and K-12 design.

A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Gabriella is an active member of the American Institute of Architects on the national, state, and local level serving on numerous committees, including 2023 Membership Commissioner with the AIA Austin Board of Directors, and as a contributor for Texas Architect Magazine. As the Chair of the Texas Society of Architects EDI Committee, she is leading the charge of conversations around equity across the Texas architectural field. She also serves as an NCARB Licensing Advisor and is in her second year in the Experience Committee. Gabriella is a LEED Accredited professional and holds a license to practice architecture in the state of Texas.

“It wasn’t until I really started to prioritize exams the same way I would prioritize or schedule a project that I gained more momentum.”

Woo! This is a fun one. I started my exam process right after graduating in 2018. I jumped in with both feet and knew persistence would be key. Over the next three years, I took 16 exams, 10 of which resulted in failure.

It wasn’t until I really started to prioritize exams the same way I would prioritize or schedule a project that I gained more momentum. It took seeing exams as an investment in my future self, in my firm, and in my community to realize the bigger picture. Licensure is important. I used time tracker apps (Clockify), paired with the suggested readings, and programs like Amber Books and the Young Architect Academy videos to attach tangible strategies to results and it proved fruitful! I was the first in my graduating class to become licensed and am one of the 1% of licensed Latinas.

November 20, 2018	In person	PcM	Fail
January 19, 2019	In person	PcM	Pass
February 4, 2019	In person	PjM	Fail
March 11, 2019	In person	P&A	Fail
April 27, 2019	In person	PjM	Fail
September 23, 2019	In person	PjM	Pass
December 2, 2019	In person	P&A	Fail
February 24, 2020	In person	P&A	Fail
August 15, 2020	Virtual	CE	Fail
November 2, 2020	Virtual	CE	Fail
March 9, 2021	Virtual	CE	Fail
May 17, 2021	Virtual	P&A	Pass
June 22, 2021	Virtual	PPD	Pass
July 26, 2021	Virtual	PDD	Fail
August 18, 2021	Virtual	CE	Pass
September 28, 2021	Virtual	PDD	Pass

I often get asked “why do I need to get licensed?”. Why did you decide that you wanted to be a licensed Architect?

When I first started my path to architecture in university, ironically, I was one of the only people to not raise my hand when asked who was going to pursue licensure after graduation. I struggled to see myself in the profession and thought there wasn’t a place for me. Thankfully, nearly 9 years later, I’m so grateful I was wrong. Becoming licensed has been one of the greatest highlights of my career thus far. It’s deeper than a stamp, it’s a confirmation, a freedom, and the foundation of trust to build a career upon to serve our families and communities.

What type of study materials did you use? Any particular ones that you’d recommend?

Many of the suggested readings in the ARE 5.0 Handbook were a GREAT help! The content was heavy, but utilizing programs like Amber Books, the Young Architect Academy, Hyperfine, and Elif’s Questions were fantastic ways to hone in on my skills.

How did you fit study time into your schedule? Was there anything in particular that worked well for you?

(See above)

I also maintained my scores for practice exams/ quizzes and often retook them to see my improvement leading up to test time. Keeping a schedule also worked for me to stay on task. I would schedule my exam date and then work backwards giving a task to each day in order to get through remaining study materials. I would also schedule days off studying for Holidays, PTO, and some weekends – as consistent rewards for staying with it.

We hope that this information helps you through our ARE journey, setting goals, and giving you some insight on how to get started.

Thank you again to Gabriella Bermea for sharing your story!

Edited by

Katelyn Rossier, AIA, LSSBB